Apparatus for precooling refrigerator cars, consisting of a heat-exchange unit temporraily inserted into the car and vertically movable therein



y 26, 1949- H. M. HINCZ 2,477,250

APPARATUS FOR PRECQOLING FRIGERATQR CARS, CONSISTING' INSERTED T TPORARILY OF A HEAT-EXCHANGE THE CAR AND VERTICA MOVABLE THEREIN 5Sheets-Sheet 1 INTO Filed April 23, 1945 l' 1' 17 N N swam/kw July 26,1949. cz 2,477,250

APPARATUS FO PRECOOLING REFRIGERATOR CARS, CONSISTING OF A HEAT-EXCHANGEUNIT TEMPORARILY INSERTED INTO THE CAR AND VERTICALLY MOVABLE TREREINFiled April 25, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 26, 1949. mcz 2,477,250

APPARATUS FOR PRECOOLING REFRIGERATOR CARS, CONSISTING OF AHEAT-EXCHANGE UNIT TEMPORARILY INSERTED INTO THE CAR AND VERTICALLYMOVABLE THEREIN Filed April 23, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 2,477,250CONSISTING LY INSERTED INTO THE CAR AND VERTICALLY MOVABLE THEREIN FiledApril 23, 1945 July 26, 1949. H. M. HINCZ APPARATUS FOR PRECOOLINGREFRIGERATOR CARS OF A HEAT-EXCHANGE UNIT TEMPORARI 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ill I lfll l llll 2,477,250 CONSISTING 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 M. HINCZ H-APPARATUS FOR PRECOOLING REFRIGERATOR CARS OF A HEAT-EXCHANGE UNITTEMPORARILY INSERTED INTO THE CAR AND VERTICALLY MOVABLE THEREIN July26,

Filed April 23. 1945 Patented July 26, 1949 APPARATUS FOR PRECOOLINGREFRIGERA- TOR CARS, CONSISTING OF A HEAT-EX- CHANGE UNIT TEMPORARILYINSERTED INTO THE CAR AND VERTICALLY MOV- ABLE THEREIN Hipolit M. Hincz,Miami, Fla.

Application April 23, 1945, Serial No. 589,917

17 Claims.

1 This invention relates to heat exchange mechanisms particularlyintended for use in pre-cooling fruits and vegetables as they are packedin refrigerator cars and trucks prior to shipment.

In view of the long distances that it is now customary to ship fruits,vegetables and other easily perishable food-stuffs, large savings in thefood-studs themselves, as well as the ice and servicing labor requiredduring transit, are effected by pre-cooling the fruits and vegetablesduring the time between the completion of loading a car or truck and thetime shipment begins. This pre-cooling requires an appreciable timesince the heat stored in each of the articles, must pass to the surfaceand there be absorbed by the circulation thereabout of cold air or otherchilled gaseous medium. The temperature of the fruit or vegetablesgradually lowers as the heat is removed therefrom. Other conditionsbeing equal, the heat absorbed by the circulated air per unit time,varies as the temperature difference between the cooled or chilled airand the load being Dre-cooled. Thus as the temperature of the loadgradually lowers, the number of B. t. u. removed per pound of airbecomes less. It is a well known fact that the efficiency of arefrigerating apparatus varies substantially directly as the loadthereon. Furthermore, a certain minimum capacity of refrigerationapparatus is necessary to pro-cool a load of given size within areasonable time-at most a matter of hours. Under such conditions it isobvious that the refrigerating apparatus, if cooling a single car only,begins operation at substantially maximum efficiency, which efficiencywill gradually lower as the temperature diiieren-ce and hence the loadupon the apparatus, decreases.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a system forpre-cooling refrigerating cars or trucks wherein a number of cars may beserviced from and cooled by a single apparatus and by having the cars invarious stages of cooling the total load upon the refrigeratingapparatus remains substantially constant throughout its operation andits thermal eificiency remains at a near maximum.

A further object is to provide an apparatus wherein the entire equipmentmay be mounted upon a car or truck so as to be readily moved from onerefrigerator car to another, and if desired, from one shipping point toanother.

A still further object is to provide a refrigerating apparatus whereinthe cooling coils for the air, together with fans or blowers for forcingcirculation of the cooled air over and about the coils, then abouttheload, are so mounted as to be easily movable as a unit into the carbeing cooled whereby the pre-coling process may be carried out quicklyand easily.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a portable-blower andcoil device, as in the preceding paragraph and wherein the blower or fanand coils are moved into and out of the car as separate individual unitsbut, when in operating position within the car coact to cool andcirculate the air within the car over and about the load therein.

A further object is to provide a portable mounting, as described in theforegoing paragraph, wherein the coils and circulating blowers aremounted for quick and easy insertion through the loading doors of thecar being serviced, and without the necessity for a precise alignment ofthe supporting truck or car with the doors of the refrigerator car.

A further object is to provide a cooling unit positionable within thecar or other compartment to be cooled and in a position in which thenatural circulation of the cooled air through the load is in the samegeneral path as that induced by the fans or impellers.

- Another object is to provide a cooling unit having power-drivenimpeller means for the cooling air that may be quickly and easilypositioned within the car, whereby the pressure differential within andwithout the car itself remains substantially at zero at all times withthe result that leakage of cooled air to the exterior of the car or ofrelatively warm outside air to the interior of the car, through cracks,etc., is kept at a minimum. In this manner I eliminate a troublesomeloss of power, inevitably present in those systems wherein cooled air iscirculated through the load by the application of a pressure differencebetween ducts for chilled air leading into and from the car itself.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pre-cooling unit, asaforesaid, wherein the air within the car is repeatedly circulated inheatexchanging relation with the load and is repeatedly cooled bycontact with coils within the car itself, which coils may be cooled,either by the circulation therethrough of chilled liquid, or by directexpansion therein of a liquid refrigerant. Since the piping conductingthe cooled liquid or refrigerant to and from the car, is small in crosssection as compared to prior art systems of equivalent capacity usingair ducts to convey chilled air to and fromcooling coils outside thecar, complete sealing of the car from the outside air is easily efiectedand heat losses may be kept ata minimum. Furthermore, the relativelysmall pipe distribution system used for conducting chilled liquid orrefrigerant to and from the car occupies little space and can besuspended along the wall of a building or upon poles or other supportsso as to'be immediately available for connection to the car at all timeswhile at the same time, leaving the loading openings unobstructed forfree and easy loading.

A still further object is to provide a precooling system for carswherein the refrigerating means may be located at a considerabledistance from the compartment to be cooled and the refrigerant piped tothe said compartment with minimum expense for piping and a minimum powerloss.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for cooling wherein cooled airis projected horizontally from a central position at the top of thecompartment, in opposite directions towards the ends thereof, wherebythe natural circulation of the cooling air through the load is in thesame direction as the direction of flow induced by the fans or blowers.

A still further object is to provide a cooling unit having a minimumvertical dimension while at the same time eifecting an efficientcirculation of the cooling air that is aided by the wall of thecompartment being cooled.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as thedescription proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in cross section, showing one form of the meansfor supporting the cooling unit for movement into and out of arefrigerator car or compartment, together with the means for raisingsaid unit into a preferred operating position within the car.

Fig. 1A is a detail view of one of the jack elements used for varyingthe elevation of the tracks upon which the cooling unit is mounted.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the framework, including parallel tracks, uponwhich the cooling unit is supported within the car.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33, Fig. 2, and showing the tracks,bracing, and attached sockets for two of the elevating jacks.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a preferred form of cooling unit showingthe cooling coils, the framework for supporting the coils, the dischargeopenings for the fans, the driving means for said fans and the couplingsfor the coils. In this view the lower portion of the side cover plate isomitted to show the arrangement of the parts with greater clarity.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the unit of Fig. 4, showing the fan rotors.the motors for driving them and the supply header for the cooling coils.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the cooling unit with the correspondingend plate omitted and looking from the left, Figs. 4 and5, and showing.the arrangement of the supply and exhaust headers for the cooling coils,one of the fan casings, and the bracing for the casing of the unit.

Fig. 'l is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of inlet andoutlet headers together with valves and connections for simultaneouslyservicinga plurality of cooling units similar to theone shown in detailin Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a portable unit constructed in accordancewith my invention and showing the unit comprising the cooling coils andblowers, projected throughthe side doors of a refrigerator car in theposition occupied while actually in operation pro-cooling a load. Thisfigure also shows the track means permitting the cooling unit to beprojected into the car, the track means permitting the cooling unit tobe adjusted longitudinally of the car, and the jacks enabling adjustmentof the height of the tracks upon which the cooling'unit rolls.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the portable outfit of Fig. 8 showing thecooling coils projected into a refrigerator car and also showing theblowers and driving motors therefor. This figure also shows a preferredarrangement of the necessary auxiliaries upon the platform of the truckbody or other conveyance on which the device may be mounted.

Fig. 10 is a section taken upon the line |0-i0, Fig. 8 and showing inparticular the transverse mounting for the jacks and cooling unit aswell as the track arrangement for permitting projection of the coolingunit into a car.

Fig. 11 is a section taken upon the line |l--| I, Fig. 8, showing inenlarged detail the arrangement of the tracks and rollers for slidablymounting the cooling unit.

Definition of terms In the specification and claims, I desire to have itunderstood that the term "car refers to a railroad car, automotive truckor aerial vehicle built and adapted to the transportation of perishablefood-stufis, as well as any other type of self-contained, detachablecontainer adapted to be used for the transportation of appreciablequantities of food-stuffs or other perishable substances.

The term load" as used herein, means the quantity of food-stuffs orother perishable substances carried by or within the particular carbeing cooled, irrespective of its kind or nature.

The term cooling unit" refers to and identifies parts that are movableinto the car either as a unit or in sections, including the coolingcoils, blowers, wiring, hose connections and supporting framework.

Referringin detail to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1, Cidentifies a refrigerator compartment such as that of a railroad car ormotor vehicle having a roof R, a floor F and loading doors DI and D2centrally located in opposite side walls, door DI being shown closed,and D2 open. As is usual in such compartments, a grille work formed bysupporting strips S rest upon, and are spaced from floor F. by a seriesof sleepers 8', so that a, space is formed between the floor and stripswhereby cooling air may be circulated beneath and about a load offoodstuffs or other perishable substances resting upon the grille-work.

According to one form of my invention, a pair of tracks I and 2 arejoined in parallel relation by braces 3 that may conveniently be weldedto said tracks to form a unitary rigid framework. Each end of each ofthe tracks has a socket l or 4a or 4b or 40 fixed thereto and adapted torotatably receive the upper end of a respective jack screw 5 and 5a. Asthese lacks are all identical in construction, a description of one, inconnection with Fig. 1A, will sufllce.

A standard 6 comprising a cylinder within which screw 5 slidably fits,is enlarged at its lower end to rest upon the floor oi the car. At itsupper end, standard 6 has -a bevel gear I journaled therein by a thrustbearing. A bracket 8 is carried by standard 6 and has a. bearingjoumalin'g a shaft 9 on one end of which is fixed 22 to thereby supportsaid channel.

a bevel gear It in mesh with gear 1. Gear 1 has a central aperturethreadedto engage screw 5, and as crank H is turned, the screw isprojected axially from the standard 5, whereby the framework, includingtracks I and 2 may be raised within the compartment or car C.

At P is indicated a fixed platform adjacent which the car is positioned.This platform may conveniently have a flat upper surface at or a littleabove the level of the floor of the car and is adapted to support atruck l2 mounted upon standard swivel casters l3. This truck isgenerally rectangular in plan and has standards or jacks it fixed to itsfour corners. These standards, except for the lengths of the screws, maybe in all respects identical with the lacks used in the compartment aspreviously described. These jacks are adapted to support a rigidframework, including a pair of parallel tracks l5 and He, Fig. 6. Thesetracks l5, l5a, of course, have the same spacing as tracks and 2.'

A cooling unit It, subsequently to be described, has flanged wheels llmovable on tracks I5, I51 or I, 2, and by which said unit may be easilymoved into and out of car 0.

In use, after car C has been positioned adjacent platform P and loaded,the framework, including tracks I and 2 is positioned within the car bymeans of the four jacks previously described, the truck l2, supportingthe cooling unit It, is rolled into position opposite the open door ofthe loaded compartment or car,- and the several jacks M are adjusteduntil the tracks I5, l5a, upon the truck l2 are in alignment with thetracks and 2, respectively, within the car, and at an elevation such aswill afford-ample clearance between the unit it and the top of the dooropening in compartment C. The unit it is then rolled into the car fromthe position shown in dotted lines at the left of Fig. 1, to that shownin dotted lines within the car. The jacks within the car are thenoperated to raise unit IE to its maximum height permitted by the roof ofthe car. A bafile'sheet I8 is then secured over the door opening.Flexible tube and power connections are then made with unit l5 throughan opening |8a in said flexible bailie sheet l8 after which the car isready for cooling.

The cooling unit is indicated generally by the numeral Hi and includes acentral beam element l9 that consists of a number of bar reinforcements20, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 4, welded between two metalplates to form a rigid unitary beam. Brackets of any suitable andwell-known construction not shown, are secured to and extend laterallyfrom this beam. A plurality of U-shaped coils 2| is secured to andsupported by said brackets. A pair of headers 2|a and 2|b is arranged insuperposed relation across one end of the unit, 2|a being a supplyheader and 2"; an exhaust header. One end of each coil 2| is incommunication with header 2 la,

while the other end is in communication with header 2|b. Couplings 2|cand 2|d are provided whereby cooling fluid may be supplied to, andexhausted from the coils through flexible tubing. A channel'22 ismounted at the topof the unit. Struts 22a and 2212 are secured at spacedintervals along and with their lower ends connected to the side platesof beam l9. At their upper ends, thesestruts are connected to the sidesof channel Bracing that includes crossed struts 23, 23a, 23b and 230, issecured to the ends of beam l3 and channel 22 to define the ends of thecooling unit and to serve as ea support for the end plates 24 and 24a ofthe uni snugly receive the shroud ring sections 26a and 21a,respectively, of apair of centrifugal fans having rotors- 26 and 21.These rotors are of conventional constructions, having blades 26b, 21bwhich, when operating, act to draw air upwardly over coils 2|, and todischarge the same horizontally outwardly in opposite directions. Theserotors are mounted upon shafts 28c, 21, each journaled' at the top inbearings 26d, 21d, carried by channel 22, and at the bottom in bearings26e, 2le, mounted upon the top edge of beam It. A pair of driving motors28 and 29 are mounted upon plates 28a and 29a that, in turn, are carriedby brackets 28b and 29b secured to channel 22 and beam i9. Pulleys 28cand 29c are connected to the corresponding motor shafts and belts 28dand 29d connect each pulley with a respective pulley 26} and 21! upon ablower shaft. If desired, of course, a single motor can be arranged todrive both fan rotors.

As is indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5, each fan rotor is arranged todischarge air laterally toward each end of the car; To assist in thisfunction, directing or baflie plates 30, 30a, 3|, 3|a, shaped as clearlyshown in Fig. 5, are supported and secured to crown plate 25 so that airafter passing through the load, is drawn upwardly,

cooled by passing over coils 2|, and subsequently deflected in uniformstreams, toward opposite ends of the car. The inner pair of these plates30a and Ma, may conveniently have their vertical edges secured to thecorresponding-edges of motor bases 28a and 29a. v

From Fig. 1, it will be noted that, when in operating position, the unitIt is closely adjacent the top of the car. This fact renders itunnecessary to provide a top cover plate for the unit although, ofcourse, such a plate may be used if desired. The use of the roof of thecar as a substitute for a cover plate not only lightens the unit butalso facilitates adjustments and repairs when the unit is out of use.

Baflle plates 32 and 33, Fig. 6, are pivoted on axes parallel to beam|9, adjacent the respective sides of the unit. These plates are letdown, after the unit is in operating position within the can-until theirouter edges rest on the crates or other containers, constituting theload, and assist .in directing the chilled air outwardly toward the endsof the car.

By the foregoing construction, a cooling unit is provided that isrelatively light in weight, quickly and easily inserted into, andwithdrawn from the car, and one that delivers a maximum volume of airfor its weight and over-all vertical dimension. While I have shown thisunit as built around and supported by a unitary framework, it will beappreciated that, if desired, the fans or blowers may be built as oneelement while the coils may be formed as a separate element. The twoelements will then be adapted to fit together when in operating positionand the blower element can be moved into the car and supported adjacentthe top thereof while the coil element is subsequently moved intoposition.

The cooling unit just described in connection with Figs. 1 to "l,inclusive, will ordinarily be located on or adjacent the shippingplatform of a packing house or warehouse. The refrigeration apparatusand its auxiliaries will ordinarily be located in any convenientlocation in or near the packing house and only a supply pipe and areturn pipe are required between the refrigeration apparatus and coils2|. These pipes may either convey chilled liquid, such as brine, to andfrom said coils, or refrigerant may be conveyed under pressure to saidcoils and evaporated therein after passing through a conventionalreduction valve.

In cases-where a plurality of cars are to be pro-cooled at thesame time.the arrangement shown at Fig. 7 may be used. This consists of a supplypipe 90 from the outlet of a tank containing chilled liquid or thereceiving tank for liquid refrigerant. A supply header 9i communicateswith pipe 90. This header extends along the siding on which a number ofcars to be loaded are positioned and supply pipes 92, 92a, 92b, and 92clead from header 9| at properly spaced intervals. A shut oil valve 93,93a, 93b, and 930 is located in each supply pipe. Similarly, a series ofreturn pipes 94, 94a, 94b, and 940 is adapted to be connected bycouplings 2ld, to the return header 2 lb of each cooling unit used.These pipes communicate with a return header 95 and valves 95, 95a, 95b,and 95c provide for putting any unit into or out of service. Header 96is o serviced by a return pipe 91 leading to the compressor or chilledliquid tank, as the case may be.

In'other situations, as where the capacity of a packing house is notgreat enough to require the full time service of a cooling unit, it maybe desirable to mount such unit upon the platform of a motor or railwayvehicle whereby it may be moved from one location to another as desired.

At'Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, I have shown a mobile pre-cooling mechanismwherein the cooling unit may be the same as that indicated at 16,Fig. 1. In these figures, identifies the platform of an automotive truckT. At its forward end. platform 35 has a transverse channel 35 fixedthereto. A second channel 31 is fixed to the rear edge of platform 35parallel to channel 36. Channel sections 36 and 31 each have -aplurality of spaced r0llels 38 and 39 pivoted on axles or pins extendingbetween the side walls thereof. A second channel section 40 has anover-all width a little less than the inside dimension'between flangeson channel 35 and a length approximately two-thirds of the length ofchannel 38. .Channel 31 carries a second and smaller section 4| similarto section 40. Thus each of the sections 48 and 4| are mounted on therollers 38 and 39, respectively for guided movement in and along mainchannels 35 and 31. It will be understood that stop means will beprovided preventing sliding channels 40 and II from leaving channels 36and 31 in an endwise direction. Also, means will be provided for lockingthe sliding channels in central position on the truck platform duringtransportation from place to place. channels 36 and 31 may be turnedover the corresponding upper edges of sliding channels 4'0 and 4|whereby to prevent the possibility that thelatter may become unseatedfrom rollers 38 and 39. I

Sliding channel 49 has a pair of spaced upright cylinders 42 and 43rigidly mounted thereon. Cylinder 42 has a plunger element 44 slidablyfitted therein while cylinder 43 has a plung- If desired the edges offixed in the particular species selected for illustration,

is the door opening F of a refrigerator railway car C. The plungers 44,45. 48 and 49 form the movable elements of a hydraulic structureoperable to raise and lower the cooling unit to a desired elevation forinsertion through door opening F and subsequent elevation, if desired.to vary the vertical position of the cooling unit within the car. As asource of fluid pressure to actuate the plungers, I provide a compressor50 of any suitable design and capacit and a receiver tank 5| connectedto the compressor to store the actuating fluid under pressure. Thisfluid will usually be oil and it will be understood that compressormotor 52, will be controlled by a switch responsive to the pressure intank 5|, whereby said pressure is maintained substantially constanttherein. Suitable piping and valves (not shown) are provided forconducting and controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid to the severalcylinders.

Plungers 44 and 48 have attached to their tops a side rail 55. Likewiseplungers 45 and 49 at the other side of platform 35 support at theirtops a rail 58. Rails 55 and 55 are shown in the form of channels turnedon their sides with channels facing each other. As shown at Figs. 8 and9, rails 55 and 56 extend from a point substantially flush with the rearend of the truck, forwardly to a point over the truck cab. Brace 57rigidly connects the forward ends of side rails 55 and 56 whereby toform a rigid elevator platform. Other braces (not shown) may extendbetween and in- "terconnect the lower edges of these rails at anydesired points.

The cooling unit support consists of a pair of sliding rails 59 and 60,connected at their ends by cross pieces BI and 62, to form a rigidframe. As clearly indicated at Figs. 10 and 11, these rails each have aseries of spaced brackets 83 secured along their lower edges, as bywelding, and each bracket has a roller 54 pivoted to its outside lower.portion. These rollers are of a size to fit the channels of side rails55 and 58, and it will be noted that movable rails 59 and 60 are sospaced, that tthe channels of rails 55 and 56form tracks within whichrollers 54 are guided. An antifriction mounting for the frame comprisingmovable rails 59 and 60 is thus provided, whereby said frame may beeasily projected from the rear end of the 7 and to prevent unauthorizeduse.

The cooling unit It may be of the same construction as has already beendescribed in connection with Figs. 4, 5 and 6. As shown at Figs. 8

and 10, the casing of the cooling unit It has brackets 68, secured alongits bottom wall. Each 9 bracket pivotally mounts a roller 61. Theserollers are so spaced as to ride in and along track members 68 ofU-shaped cross section, secured on and along the top sides of the lowerside walls of,

therewith. It is within the purview of the invention to omit brackets 66and rollers 61 in which case, cooling unit 16' is attached directly tochannels 59 and 60.

As previously stated the cooling unit l8 per se, used in the species ofFigs. 8 to 11, inclusive, may be identical with unit l6. However, I haveshown a slightly different arrangement of baffles and arrangement ofdriving motors. These baffles l I, I2 and 13 are shaped as shown at Fig.9 whereby all "dead spaces along the delivery area of the blowers areeliminated and a more nearly uniform discharge of cooled air iseffected. Each fan rotor has a belt pulley M or 15 fixed to its shaftand each is driven by a motor 16 or II secured to the end walls of theunit casing. 78 and i9 connect each rotor with its fan motor. By thisconstruction, as the rotors are driven counterclockwise as seen in Fig.9, air is drawn upwardly from the central portion of the car, cooled bycontact with the chilled surfaces of the coils, and directedhorizontally outward in opposite directions toward the ends of the car.Cooled air is therefore positively circulated in heat-exchangingrelation'with the load, whereby the same is rapidly cooled for shipment.In this species, baffles 32 and 33 will be used as disclosed inconnection with Fig. 6. Connection is made by means of flexible pipes 80and 8!. to circulate refrigerating fluid through the coils of unit It.

The system may be self -contained except for conpower for drivingcompressor, fans, etc. A tank 83 for brine is mounted upon platform 35and by the term brine it will be understood that I mean any suitablecoolant liquid such as a solution of the chlorides of sodium, calcium,and magnesium. Expansion coils 98 for the refrigerant compressed bycompressor 85, and liquefied in a conventional condenser (not shown) arelocated within tank -83. Compressor 85 is shown as a standardtwo-cylinder V-type machine, belt connected to be driven by a motor 86.Any standard refrigerant such as ammonia, Freon 2i, butane, or dieline,may be used as the heat exchange medium. In all cases, suitable bafflesare provided to cover the door opening after the cooling unit has beenadjusted into proper position. Preferably these baffles will be insections and one of them will have an opening through which electricalconnections may be'led to supply current for driving fan motors l6 and11'. If desired a single elevating plunger, fitting an hydraulic Belts Irails 55 and 55 are in such position as to enable unit 34 to be slidinto the car. Rails 59 and 60 are next projected along rails 55 and 56to project unit It into the car and as soon as said unit is in properposition within the car, the elevating mechanism is again actuated tomove the unit It into its uppermost position within the car, asindicated at Fig. 8. Baiiles 32 and 33 are now let down to rest upon theload and baffles 65 are placed in position above and below rails 59 and60 to fully cover the door opening F. Electrical connections to fanmotors I6 and 1-1 are established through one section of the doorbaifles, as previously explained, and condenser cooling water andelectrical connections are made from outside sources to the truck. Themachine is now ready for operation. Compressor is started and, assumingthat the brine in tank 83 is chilled to the proper temperature, motors16 and 11 are started. Air in the car is now cooled by unit It andcirculated in well-defined paths over and through the load and back tothe cooler, thus rapidly absorbing the heat from the fruit, vegetablesor other articles comprising the load. Cooling may continue for thedesired period which may be a few hours, whereupon the unit is removedfrom the car by the reversal of the steps above outlined and the eardoors closed. The car may be iced after the pre-cooling so that it isready for shipment as soon as unit It has been withdrawn. The truck maythen be moved to another loaded car and the process repeated. Thus itmay be seen that, by applicant's construction, the unit may be movedlongitudinally, toward and from, and vertically, of the car.

In the case where several cars "are to be simultaneously serviced, as bythe connections shown at Fig. '7, the load upon the compressor may bekept substantially constant by having the cars in various stages ofpre-cooling so that, as soon as the pre-cooling of one car is complete,another freshly-loaded car may be connected. In this manner, thecompressor may be operated at substantially maximum efficiency at alltimes by keeping the load curve substantially fiat.

From the above description it will be seen that Ihave provided a systemof pre-cooling loads of perishable products to be shipped, that israpid, efficient and systematic. The mobile units may be quickly movedfrom place to place and kept in almostcontinuous operation to rapidlyprecool loaded compartments and prepare them for shipment.

While I have shown preferred forms of my invention, it will be clear tothose skilled in the art that numerous changes, modifications andsubstitutions are possible without changing the broad principles andpurposes thereof. I desire it "to be understood therefore that I wish toreserve all such modifications, alterations and substitutions as fallwithin the scope of the subloined claims.

Having now fully disclosed my invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cooling unit for shipping compartments, a platform, paralleltrack means, elevator means mounting said track means on said platformfor controlled vertical movement, a frame slidably mounted on said trackmeans to be projectable therealong into an adjacent compartment, coolingcoils on said frame, and power blower means on said frame positioned tocirculate air over and about said coils, said elevator means beingoperable to translate said track means. frame, coils and blower meansvertically.

means carried by for translation on said unit including heat 2. In adevice for pre-cooling a railway refrigerator car having a door opening,a cooling unit comprising a casing adapted to be passed through saidopening, cooling coils in said casing, blower means in said casingadapted to force air over said coils to cool the air, means in saidcasing for directing said cooled air horizontally in oppositedirections, power means in said casing connected to drive said blowermeans, a platform, means carried solely by said platform to mount saidcasing for movement laterally, vertically and horizontally into saidcompartment, and flexible connections from a source of cooling fluid tosaid coils.

3. The combination with a railway refrigerator car having arefrigerating space extending longitudinally thereof and a door arrangedcen ally of'one side wall of the car, of structure for precooling thecontents of said car, said structure comprising first track means, Jackmeans adapted to support said first track means in said car to extendtransversely thereof from said door and elevated approximately midwaybetween the floor and roof thereof, second track means, means adapted tosupport said second track means exteriorly of said car in alignment withsaid first track means, a cooling unit comprising a frame, cooperatingcooling coils and blower means carried by said frame in superposedrelation, and

roller-means mounting said cooling unit for movement into and out ofsaid car on and along said first and said second aligned track means.

4. In a pre-ccoling system for a railway refrigerator car having a doorin the side wall thereof, a unitary frame including a pair of paralleltracks, jack means adapted to support said track means in said car in aposition substantially midway between the fioor and top thereof, acooling unit comprising heat exchange coils, a pair of blowerssuperposed over said coils, shroud plates adapted to direct air drawnover said coils horizontally outwardly and power means connected todrive said blowers, and roller means mounting said cooling unit fortranslation on and along said tracks, said jack means being operable tovertically translate said tracks and unit from said first position to asecond position whereby said unit may be positioned adjacent the roof ofthe car. I

5. In a pre-cooler for a railway refrigerator car, a mobile baseindependent of said car, tank said base and adaptedto contain a supplyof chilled liquid, track means wholly supported by extended laterallyfrom said base into and transversely across the car, a cooling unitsupported and along said track means, exchange coils and power-drivenblower means adapted to draw air over said coils and to'expelthe samelaterally outwardly in opposite directions, means operable to elevatesaid track means and said unit while laterally extended from said base,and liquidconveylng connections between said tank means and said coils.

6. In a pre-cooling unit for temporary installation in a railwayrefrigerator car, a frame adapted to extend through the loading aisle ofthe car, heat exchange coils mounted within the lower portion of saidframe, a pair of blowers having rotors journaled in said frameimmediately above and adjacent said coils, on normally vertical axesspaced longitudinally of said frame, shroud means carried by said frameand extending about said rotors to direct air, drawn upwardly over; saidsaid base and adapted to be and a width less than the coils by saidblowers, horizontally in opposite directions, said means'deflninma spacecentrally of said frame, and a pair of mqtors mounted on said framewithin said space, each motor eing coupled to drive a respective blowerrotor.

'7; The combination with a railway refrigerator car having a loadingopening in its side wall, said opening extending from the floor thereofand terminatin short of the ceiling thereof, of a cooling unit forpre-cooling the contents of the car, said unit comprising a casing,having a length substantially equal to the internal width of said carwidth of said opening, cooling coils in said casing, blower means insaid casing over said coils, shrouds in said casing adapted to directair from said blower means horizontally outwardly toward opposite endsof said car, and means supporting said unit for translation into saidcar through said opening, said means being operable to elevate said unitto occupy a space between the ceiling of said car and the top of saidopening, whereby the space in said car below said unit may be loadedprior to insertion of the unit into the car.

8. The combination with a refrigerator car having a loading opening inits side wall extending from the floor and terminating below the levelof the ceiling, a cooling unit comprising a casing,

'cooling coils and blower means in said casing in unit into the spacebetween the roof of the car and the top of said opening.

9. In a pre-cooler for a refrigeratorwcar, truck means having mountedthereon a track adapted to extend from the exterior of the car into andacross the same, jack means supporting said track means independently ofthe car for vertical adjustment relatively thereto, and a cooling unitsupported on and by said track means for translation therealong, coilsand a blower operable to draw air upwardly over said coils and todischarge the same laterally in opposite directions.

10. In a pre-cooler for a refrigerator car, track means adapted toextend into and across the car, a cooling unit comprising cooling coilsand a blower operable to draw air over said coils and to direct the samehorizontally outwardly, means mounting said unit for translation on andalong said track means, and means supporting said track means at alltimes independently of said car, said supporting means being operable tomove said track means and unit vertically.

11. In a pre-cocler for a refrigerator car, a first pair of normallyhorizontal tracks, first Jack means adapted to support said trackswithin and transversely across said car and operable to verticallytranslate said tracks as a unit, a frame supported independently of saidcar, a second pair of normally horizontal tracks, second jack meansmounting said second pair of tracks on said frame and operable tovertically translate said second pair of tracks into alignment with saidfirst pair of tracks, a cooling unit comprising cooling coils and ablower adapted to pass air over said coils and direct the samehorizontally outwardly, and means mounting said cooling unit for rollingsaid ,unit including cooling movement on and along said aligned pairs oftracks.

12. In a pre-cooling mechanism for a refrigerator car, a base, arefrigerator device, a tank adapted to contain a supply of liquidcooledby said device, a heat exchange unit, track means on said basesupporting said unit independently of said car for guided horizontaltranslation into and out of the car, flexible couplings between saidunit and said tank, and means operable to vertically translate said unitand supporting means relatively to said base and car.

13. In a device for pre-cooling the interior and contents of a railwayrefrigerator car, a platform supported independently of said car,refrigerating mechanism including expansion coils on said platform, aheat exchange unit comprising cooling coils and a blower for circulatingair over and about said coils and directing the air horizontallyoutwardly, a pair of horizontal parallel tracks, means supporting saidtracks on said platform for lateral extension therefrom, and operable totranslate said tracks vertically relatively to said platform, meansmounting said heat exchange unit for translation on and along saidtracks, and flexible supply ,and withdrawal conduits from saidrefrigerator mechanism to said cooling coils.

14. In a cooling unit for a railway refrigerator car, means forming acasing having an open bottom, cooling coils mounted in said casingadjacent the bottom, a blower journaled in said casing above said coilsand operable to draw air upwardly over said coils, baffles carried bysaid casing to direct the air from said blower horizontally inoppositely-directed streams, a motor carried by said casing inhorizontally offset relation with said blower, means drivinglyconnecting said motor and blower, a truck independent of said car, andmeans supporting said casing on said truck, said last-named meansmounting said casing for vertical and horizontal translation relativelyto the truck.

15. In a mobile pre-cooling machine, a mobile platform, first and secondnormally horizontal parallel guide means on said platform extending formovement on and along a respective one of said supporting rails andhaving their ends projectable therefrom, a cooling unit comprisingcooling coils and air circulating means, means mounting said coolingunit for movement on and along said movable rails, a tank mounted onsaid platform and adapted to contain cooling fluid, and flexibleclosed-circuit connections from said tank to said cooling coils.

16. The combination with a refrigerator car, of means for cooling thecontents thereof, said means including a casing extending laterallyacross the car between the side walls thereof, a partition in saidcasing dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments, coolingcoils mounted in said lower compartment, there being apertures in saidpartition, a pair of centrifugal fan rotors in said upper compartment,each havinga vertical axis of rotation and positioned centrally over arespective aperture, said rotors being spaced longitudinally of saidcasing, power means carried by said casing between and coupled to drivesaid fan rotors, means forming discharge passageways in said uppercompartment to direct the air discharged from said rotors towardopposite ends of the car, a platform, and means carried by said platformsupporting said casing for movement vertically, longitudinally andtransversely of said car, whereby said casing may be moved verticallywith respect to the roof of the car or withdrawn from the car throughthe side door thereof.

17. The combination with a transportation compartment having a dooropening, of means for pre-cooling the contents of said compartment, saidmeans comprising a cooling unit comprising a casing, cooling coils insaid casing, power-driven blower means in said casing, means includingsaid blower means arranged to impel air over said coils, thenhorizontally in opposite directions, a platform exteriorly of saidcompartment, and means mounting said casing solely upon said platform,for movement laterally and vertically of said opening and horizontallythrough said opening into said compartment.

HIPOLIT M. HINCZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Adams July 6, 1943

